BARCELONA, Spain -- Javier Mascheranos weight in the Barcelona team is measured by much more than his goals -- or lack of.The clubs fans are more than happy to overlook the fact he has never scored in nearly 300 appearances, because few players are as important to the Spanish champion.Having already proved his flexibility over the years, the 32-year-old Mascherano is now learning another position.Mascherano is defying his age and increasing his worth in a team whose intricate passing style is incredibly demanding on players.The Argentina international has become coach Luis Enriques fix-it man.Already able to play either in midfield or as a central defender, Mascherano has now passed the test as Barcelonas right back.He has filled in expertly for the injured Sergi Roberto, both as the right-sided defender in a back line of three, or in the four-man defense Luis Enrique used to thwart Manchester City on Wednesday in the Champions League.Enrique said on Friday that Mascherano may play on the flank for Saturdays visit to Valencia in the Spanish league.The option of Mascherano is open, said Enrique, who rarely reveals his lineups before the match. He played a good match against City and he is one of the possibilities that I have for this and other matches.Wherever he plays at Valencias Mestalla Stadium, Mascherano will be tasked to hold down a back line that will be without the injured Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba.Against City, he nullified winger Manuel Nolito Agudo and also set up Barcelonas opening goal.Stealing possession in Citys half he sprang a quick attack that resulted in Lionel Messis first of three goals in a humbling 4-0 loss for former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.Mascheranos value is his versatility and willingness to sacrifice in a team full of incredibly talented individuals -- such as like Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta.It was Guardiola who gave Mascherano the first opportunity to reinvent himself at Barcelona when he was struggling to find a starting role.Having arrived from Liverpool in 2010, he found Sergio Busquets well entrenched in his own position of holding midfielder.It was a simple choice: adapt or fail. So when a spate of injuries left Barcelona without a central defender, he seized his chance.Mascherano compensates for a height disadvantage with intelligent play, such as when he anchored the side that beat Manchester United 3-1 in the 2011 Champions League final.I never thought I would be here this long, he said. I know what I can do, but I also know the demands that Barca places on you. In any other team I would have liked to play in midfield, but changing positions was worth it to keep playing here.Mascherano plays in midfield for Argentina and is a key player for the side that reached the final of the 2014 World Cup, losing to Germany.His latest positional change for Barcelona goes against a customary trend.The usual evolution of aging defenders is changing from a wide position to slot inside, compensating for dwindling speed.Barcas coach saw the potential for Mascherano to do this when Roberto injured a leg muscle earlier this month. He looked past Robertos natural replacement, Aleix Vidal, and asked Mascherano to take on the role.Luis Enrique liked the result, so even with Roberto cleared to play against City, he left Mascherano in his place.Mascheranos industry more than makes up for the fact he has not scored in 290 appearances -- a Barcelona club record for an outfield player.I am not obsessed over it, he said. A goal wouldnt change my life.Mascheranos contributions, which have helped win 17 titles, are fully appreciated and he signed a new contract on Monday until 2019.My time here at Barcelona has been magical, he said. Year after year the team has kept its hunger. New Balance Sale Australia . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. New Balance Clearance Australia . Ancelotti says Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury but "but he doesnt feel comfortable yet so we wont risk him." Madrid is third in the Spanish league, six points behind leader Barcelona, going into Saturdays game against Valladolid. http://www.cheapaustralianewbalance.com/ . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. New Balance Clearance Outlet Australia .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. New Balance Cheap Australia . Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta.WASHINGTON -- Kyle Lohse tossed eight sharp innings on short rest and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Washington Nationals 4-1 on Wednesday, shutting down Bryce Harper and Co. for the second night in a row. Lohse (4-6) allowed one run and four hits, and had a season-high seven strikeouts against the eager-swinging Nationals, who barely avoided back-to-back shutouts and fell back to .500. Harper, in his third game back from a knee injury, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and dropped a ball in left field for the second consecutive game. Lohse pitched on two days rest after his last start, Sunday at Pittsburgh, was cut short at 1 2-3 innings because of a 2-hour, 20-minute rain delay. Nevertheless, his impressive June (2-0, 2.34 ERA) carried into July. Ross Detwiler (2-7), yet another Nationals pitcher longing for run support, was charged with four runs and eight hits in six innings, although two runs were unearned because of Harpers error leading off the sixth. In Detwilers seven losses, the Nationals have scored a combined three runs while hes been in the game. The Brewers scored a pair in the fifth after a double by Sean Halton and a clinical bunt single by Logan Schafer. After a sacrifice bunt, both were singled home by Norichika Aoki with the infield in. In the sixth, Harper dropped a line drive off the bat of Aramis Ramirez. The error proved costly when Schafer drove a two-run triple into right-centre with two out. Harper, converted from catcher after the Nationals drafted him No. 1 overall in 2010, also misplayed a fly ball on the warning track in Milwaukees four-run eighth inning in Tuesdays 4-0 win. That play was ruled a hit, although Harper said he simply dropped the ball. At the plate, Harper made solid contact twice, but centre fielder Carlos Gomez chased the first one down on the warning track and had to sprint and streetch to snag the second one in left-centre.dddddddddddd Harper is 1 for 12 since his return from the disabled list, and the one hit was an electrifying first-inning homer in the first game that helped spur a 10-5 win. The Nationals have since reverted to their collective season-long slump at the plate, although many of their outs Wednesday were hard-hit line drives that went straight to fielders. They averted the shutout when Anthony Rendon homered in the seventh. Rendon also came up to the plate as the potential tying run with two out and two on in the ninth, but he flew out to deep centre field against Francisco Rodriguez, who picked up his seventh save. The Brewers have won two straight after losing six in a row. They welcomed shortstop Jean Segura and Gomez back to the lineup after both sat out Tuesdays game with nagging injuries. Gomez had plenty of work, making eight putouts in centre field. NOTES: The games most embarrassing gaffe was committed by Brewers 2B Rickie Weeks, who ran almost all the way from first to third on a flyout to deep centre with one out. Weeks was easily doubled off base, negating a run that would have scored from third on a sacrifice fly. It would have been Haltons first major league RBI. ... Detwiler made the start despite feeling stiffness in his lower back after his previous outing. He is 0-3 since returning from the disabled list following a back strain last month. ... The game started at 6:05 p.m., an hour earlier than usual, because the teams have an 11:05 a.m. start on July 4. ... Nationals RHP Dan Haren, on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder, threw a simulated game and appears set to return to the rotation July 9. ... Washington C Wilson Ramos (left hamstring) will return from the DL and start Thursday, barring a setback following his final rehab game Wednesday night. 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